This was to have been the day the Traveling Gardeners (group of Master Gardeners whose regular workplace was sold, and the new place is just coming on line) were to have worked with us, but in an abundance of caution regarding air quality associated with the Mountain Fire in Camarillo, they decided to postpone to a future date. Looking at the air quality index, the Tuesday Crew decided to risk it, and, sure enough, the air was fine. Dale Harshberger, Irene Rowland, Daryl Stutley, Nancy Taylor Walker, Janet Wall and I met in the service area and headed up the zig zag path up the hill to do some general cleanup.
The group did some quick cleanup of the nasturtiums and dead branches of the Ribes viburnifolium. Below is Dale, Daryl, Janet, yours truly, and Irene:
Just past the walnuts, we took off some of the dead branches hanging over and near the path from the pendulous bottle brush trees. Janet and I behind her:
Further up, we cleared the creeping rosemary from the sign for the small red oak at the top of the Bird Habitat. Daryl and me:
Then we took a detour and did some cleanup of wind-blown debris obstructing the waterfall. Irene and Daryl:
Back on the trail, we took off the dead leaves from a stand of Dianella tasmanica (not the shrub in the foreground):
Finally we took off some of the overhanging branches of the Peruvian pepper tree on the south side of the top of the hill. The picture below is of Janet examining the branch of an adjacent cypress (?) in an effort to key it out — as it isn’t labeled. The views of Conejo Valley in every direction from the hilltop are wonderful:
This is the time of year the Mexican marigold (Tagetes lemmonii) starts blooming. If you can tolerate the odor it emits when disturbed, it makes for a colorful addition to a Southern CA Garden:
Many thanks to Nancy and Janet for their images!
Enjoy the garden…KMM
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